Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Genesis 19-30: Angels, stew, & a stairway to heaven

Sharing a few thoughts from each day's reading. Feel free to jump in and share your own!

- Depravity:  I don't quite know what to think about Lot offering his daughters to the men of Gomorrah. Lot was supposedly a godly man. Sigh....Perhaps it's an illustration of how deep the depravity was at this soon-to-be-destroyed city. I don't know, but to me it's one of the most horrific events in Scripture.
- God hears:  The angels tell Lot that "the outcries of victims here to God are deafening!" (Gen 19:12-13). I love this--it shows that God listens.
- Stuck:  Lot did not want to leave Gomorrah, even though the angels told him to his face what was going to happen. They had to drag him out to safety.  Am I this way? Do I have to be dragged from sin at times? Do we need to be dragging others away from sin? Hmmm.
- Laughter:  Sarah says that laughter is a blessing. Can you picture God laughing? I bet he laughs at me a lot!
- Crying:  God heard Ishmael crying in the wildnerness. Again, God listening. Love this.
- Tribes:  Ishmael had 12 sons who were the founders of 12 tribes. This mirrors Jacob's 12 sons and 12 tribes, coming up in our readings.
 - Hungry Jack:  Esau's stomach led him astray when he traded his birthright for some stew.
- Naming:  You can see the significance of names in the Scriptures, with special notice given to names of people, places, cities, and even wells. The meaning of the name is often noted and tied to a significant event.
- Tithing starts here in Genesis, with Jacob vowing to give God 10% after he sees the entrance to heaven in his dream at Bethel.
- Rolling away the stone:  I don't ever remember reading this story before, but Jacob rolled away the stone from the well, singlehandedly, after he saw the gorgeous Rachel. The other shepherds had said "It takes all of us to roll the stone away from the well." Quite an adrenaline rush! (Gen 29:9-13)
 - Jacob was tricked by Laban, just as Jacob had tricked his father, Isaac.
- Misery:  Again, God listens and noticed Leah's misery. He cares!

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